Transport secretary backs new railway station for the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales

The government has announced it is backing the proposal to construct a new train station in St Athan, a village in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.Plans for a new station at St Athan will restore services to the area for the first time in 60 years. Transport secretary Mark Harper visited the village on Monday, 19 February, to announce the government’s support for improving rail links in the region.The new train station would sit on the Vale of Glamorgan Line which was originally closed to passengers in 1964. The line was reponed to passenger services in 2005 without a stop in St Athan but with new stations constructed at Llantwit Major and Rhoose Cardiff International Airport. St Athan Station was originally a “halt”, a train stop with normally only one small platform. In 1943, it was upgraded to a full station before being closed.As part of his visit, Harper joined local people, including Vale of Glamorgan MP Alun Cairns, to announce the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) commitment to fund the development of a business case to look at options for a new station in St Athan. This could offer thousands of people better access to the region’s growing number of homes, jobs and business opportunities, he said.Arcadis was commissioned by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to complete a feasibility study to understand the potential for the new railway station, which was published in 2022.While it stated the station is considered feasible, within its report Arcadis said: “Further investigation into the feasibility of the track gradients should be sought as a priority.“An assessment involving signalling, track, rolling stock and civil engineers should be undertaken, with the purpose of mitigating associated risks, and/or establishing the merit of seeking a derogation from Network Rail.”As part of this recent announcement, the DfT pledged to work with both the local authority and Transport for Wales in funding and developing a business case for the new station to explore its benefits. This will include assessing passenger demand and forecasts as well as options for train services.If approved for full delivery, the station would aim to provide an additional transport option for hundreds of staff at the nearby Aston Martin manufacturing and development facility, while attracting more businesses to invest in the growing Cardiff Airport-St Athan Enterprise Zones.On top of this, it would look to support Cardiff Capital Region’s plans to regenerate the decommissioned Aberthaw Power Station into a green energy park. This will spark the creation of specialist jobs in the aerospace, defence, automotive, manufacturing and engineering sectors and drive economic growth in the region.Harper said: “The return of services to St Athan for the first time in 60 years would be key to unlocking the area’s huge potential for growth, encouraging more businesses to invest in the area and opening up job opportunities for thousands of people.“That’s why the government is unlocking funding to explore options for a new station, part of our plan to continue investing in local transport and help grow the economy.”Welsh secretary of state David TC Davies said: “The UK government has invested millions directly in Wales’ transport infrastructure, better connecting communities and creating greater opportunity for people across the country. This potential improvement to rail links in the Vale of Glamorgan is fantastic news.“Together with the planned £1bn electrification of the North Wales Main Line, £50M for Cardiff cross rail and other investments from the South Wales Valleys to Aberystwyth, the UK government is delivering better rail infrastructure and improving journeys for passengers in every part of Wales.”Like what you’ve read?